Coaching Staff
Monique was born in Long Beach, California and is a Nationally recognized Coach. She brings 40+ years of experience competing and coaching at the highest levels. Monique joined her first swim team at the age of 3, at national powerhouse Phillips 66, and has loved the water ever since. Swimming, Surfing, Skiing and Outrigger Canoe.
She holds Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Education and is a published author of research in the field of swimming.
Coach Monique began coaching professionally right out of college at a NCAA Division II program (now named Truman State University,) where she was able to hone her coaching skills along with doing research in the field of swimming. Desiring a move back west after 4 years, she began teaching middle school and club coaching in California. She grew a small local team called Streamline Aquatics (1991-1998) from 60 to 150 swimmers. She produced multiple Jr. National Qualifiers, National Qualifiers and an Olympic Trials Qualifier. She was named Age Group Coach of The Year for Southern California Swimming - Eastern Section during her time at Streamline.
Coach Monique took a hiatus from the swimming world to pursue other passions - fire service, home renovations and entrepreneurship - but soon found herself back on the deck with another little team called The Competitive Edge, which soon merged with TSM (Team Santa Monica). She coached the top Age Groupers and was Strength Coach /National Team Assistant to Dave Kelshiemer, a 2016 & 2020 USA Olympic Team Coach. She assisted TSM in the development of several nationally ranked athletes, National Team members, National Jr Team members. Monique left TSM to take on the Head Coaching responsibilities at Beach Cities Swimming, where she remained for 10 years.
At BCS, she and her staff grew the program from 92 kids to 400+ strong, opening 3 other sites, and increased staff from 3 to 10+. Under her watchful eye, that team has been a Club Excellence Team 7 of those 10 years, and has won Summer Junior Olympics twice, Winter Age Championships twice, and Spring Sectionals twice. ASCA (American Swim Coaches Association) ranked BCS as high as 28th and 34th in the country as a 12-and-Under program. Additionally, the team has consistently risen in the ranks of Virtual Club Championships, landing in the top 100 clubs in the country several times. In the last 10 years, her club produced over 75 Sectional qualifiers, 39 Futures qualifiers, 26 Junior National qualifiers, 11 US Open qualifiers, 8 National qualifiers, 1 Para Olympic Trials qualifier, 3 Olympic Trials qualifiers, a 3-time Jr National Champion & National Jr Team Member . She is on the National Team Coaches' List.
Philosophically: "It is pretty simple, I believe in 'physical literacy' on land and in the water. I believe in quality over quantity. High quality work will win out over talent every time."
"I am honored and excited to be joining Bainbridge Island Swim Club for it's 2023 season and beyond given its rich history of success. I look forward to working together with our athletes, families, and the staff at Parks to lead this team to be the best it can be. Let's Go BISC!"
"Coach
Leilani"
Leilani was born in Hawaii and lived in 5 different states by the time she graduated highschool. Swimming was always a source of community and connection for her. Teaching children in and out of the pool to reach their goals is her passion. She holds a BA in Education from Arizona State where she swam competitively (1984-87). After graduating she taught elementary school for 8 years and concurrently obtained her MA in Education from CWU. She also has worked as a para-educator & substitute teacher at BISD. She previously coached summer league swimmers in Arizona and Washington before joining BISC and is a certified ASCA Level 3 coach. Leilani currently leads our intermediate groups and has coached on BISC since 2009. She was honored with earning PNS Age Group Coach of the year in 2020. She and her husband live here on Bainbridge. They have 3 children who graduated from BHS, 2 of which swam for BISC and went on to swim in college. She is available for limited private lesson instruction through the aquatic center Parks program.
Katherine is originally from Seattle and grew up swimming for Wedgwood Swim Club, Swim Seattle and Roosevelt High School. She attended Scripps College in Claremont, CA where she swam for CMS (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps). She has coached summer league, high school and club teams has recently been back in the water, swimming with Bainbridge Aquatic Master’s (BAM). She is a licensed mental health counselor and counseling professor at Antioch University Seattle. She loves to help people of all ages connect to their authentic self, build positive communities of support, and harness inner strength and resilience…especially through swimming! She lives on Bainbridge Island with her husband and two boys, Jonathan and Lukas.
